Fun Facts About the Name Keiji
- 173 babies named Keiji: U.S. records list 173 babies given the name Keiji from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Keiji Mean?
Keiji is a Japanese masculine given name. It has no single meaning apart from its written form: like many Japanese names, it is usually written with two kanji, and the sense comes from the characters chosen. The first element is commonly read kei and may be written 慶 ("rejoice, congratulate"), 啓 ("open, enlighten"), 敬 ("respect"), 圭 ("jewel"), or 恵 ("blessing"). The second element is commonly read ji and may be written 次 ("next"), 治 ("govern, heal"), 司 ("administer"), 二 ("two"), or 士 ("gentleman, scholar"). For example, 慶次 combines 慶 ("rejoice, congratulate") with 次 ("next"), and 啓治 combines 啓 ("open, enlighten") with 治 ("govern, heal"). When 次 appears in names, it can suggest a second son, as in 次郎 (Jirō), but in Keiji it is a name element rather than a statement of birth order. The kanji are of Chinese origin, but Keiji and its readings are Japanese. Because the name can be written in different ways, its meaning is best described as depending on the kanji rather than as a single translation.
Keiji Name History & Origins
Keiji is the Hepburn romanization of the Japanese name けいじ. It is usually written in kanji, and the reading kei appears in many Japanese male names, while ji is a common ending in masculine names. In Japanese naming practice, parents choose characters for their meanings and associations, so the name's history is not the story of one original word spreading across languages. Instead, it is a conventional Japanese name pattern: a two-kanji masculine name using Sino-Japanese readings. The same sounds can be written with different characters, and different families may choose different combinations.
One well-known historical bearer was Maeda Keiji (前田慶次), a late Sengoku-period warrior associated with the Maeda family. His name is written 慶次, using 慶 ("rejoice, congratulate") and 次 ("next"). Later Japanese literature and drama made Maeda Keiji a romanticized figure, but that literary reputation belongs to him rather than to the name as a whole. In modern Japan, Keiji continues to be used as a masculine given name, with combinations such as 啓治, 圭司, and 敬二.
How Popular is the Name Keiji?
Keiji has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2009. Its best rank was #3,316 in 1923.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,365 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #10,252 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #11,614 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #13,140 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #10,095 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #11,502 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #10,226 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #9,175 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #7,862 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #13,138 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #6,838 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #11,594 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #9,253 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #5,960 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #13,620 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #9,169 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #8,720 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #7,885 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #11,876 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1928 | #4,450 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #3,985 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #3,963 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,685 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,316 | 8 | 0.0007% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Keiji Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Keiji's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Keiji's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.